Why?

The life of a minister, whether a priest or a children’s formation director, any life lived for others, is hard to define. The edges of your own life and the life of your church can blur. You bear the emotional and physical burdens of children and families in ministry. And that’s just in your professional life.

“When I am constantly running, there is no time for being. When there is no time for being, there is no time for listening,” the writer Madeleine L’Engle writes in Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, a perennial favorite of the StoryMakers team. As children of God, it is important to take the time to listen to what God is doing in all places, what he is doing in your congregations, and what he is doing in you. This is the point of our conference: to stop running and fall into the arms of God, to be and listen, with no agenda or outcome.

StoryMakers firmly believes that play and art are the back door to the soul. As we grow older, we lose touch with our silly and creative sides, as we are taught that we need to produce more, build more, and schedule ourselves. But we believe this backdoor, this sneaky way in, exists for adults and children.

The word we continue to use to describe our conference is Refreshing. We invite you to join us to refresh your mind as we hear from Dr. Esau McCaulley about the hope of the story, to refresh your spirit through play and creativity, and to refresh your body through fun and great food by Pixie and the Scout. Our purpose is to remind you, who work with children in myriad ways, that God is always with you, always for you, and always actively redeeming you.

Our team is thrilled to bring the StoryMaker charm and whimsy to you as you attend our conference. With our team of artists, writers, counselors, and clergy, the conference will refresh your gospel imagination and encourage you in your work, bringing the good news of God’s grace to children and families.